Instagram boss hits back at claims app spies on users with microphone
The CEO responds to claims that apps are listening to users
Instagram boss hits back at claims that the app listens through your microphone.
From Apple's Siri lawsuit compensating users for unintended eavesdropping to warnings about keeping Amazon's Alexa out of your bedroom, we're all a little on edge about data-hungry apps and tech giants monitoring us.
Meanwhile, Apple and Samsung users may also be entitled to a share of a £480 million ($552 million) settlement following a Qualcomm scandal.
For years, both Facebook and Instagram users have accused Meta's apps of secretly listening through device microphones to serve targeted ads.
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Many device owners report discussing a product with friends in person, only to see adverts for it appear online shortly after.
Now, Instagram head Adam Mosseri has responded to these claims in a Reel video.
“This is a myth-busting video about something I’ve had a lot of passionate conversations about. Maybe at least a few, two or three, with my wife as well,” Mosseri said. “Which is, we do not listen to you. We do not use the phone’s microphone to eavesdrop on you.”
He described such behaviour as a 'gross violation of privacy' and explained that users would easily notice if Instagram were listening.
According to Mosseri, if Instagram were listening, your phone battery would drain quickly due to the increased power usage. There would also be a visible orange light on iPhones or a microphone icon on Android devices to show that the microphone is active, Mosseri said.
That said, the Instagram CEO added that there are several reasons why you might think the social media app spies on you.
"One, maybe you actually tapped on something that was related or even searched for that product online on a website, maybe before you had that conversation," he explained.
Second, Meta's algorithm predicts your interests based on the behaviour of similar users or your friends.
“So it could be that you were talking to someone about a product and they before had actually looked for or search for that product," Mosseri clarified. “Or that in general, people with similar interests were doing the exact same thing."
The third reason could be that you've seen the ad before your conversation and not realised.
"We scroll quickly, we scroll by ads quickly, and sometimes you internalise some of that, and that actually affects what you talk about later," the US businessman noted.
Lastly, Mosseri said that it could simply be a coincidence. "So I want to reiterate: we do not listen to your microphone," he concluded.
This confirmation comes as Meta prepares to introduce paid subscriptions, allowing UK users of Facebook and Instagram to opt out of seeing ads.